KANOPOLIS — The framework is up for the new fire station building.

When the current fire station was built about 20 years ago, Fire Chief Dustin Neuman said it was impossible to imagine needing more space.

“The trucks have just gotten larger over the years and we’ve gotten more trucks,” he said. “We were stacked in the station, and it’s hard to work on any of the equipment; we didn’t have room to do anything other than store stuff.”

When a vehicle needs to be serviced, it’s necessary to pull the majority of the other equipment outside in order to complete the needed repairs.

“Hopefully we’re going to be able to maintain our equipment a little better — have room to work without pulling trucks in the weather and leaving it set out,” Neuman said.

Currently, the overflow from the fleet of nine vehicles is in the city’s shop.

“It isn’t convenient to grab stuff and go across town,” Neuman said.

The need for a new building was apparent, and plans began to come together.

“Originally slated to be built last fall, it should have been built before winter,” Neuman said.

Yet, the project continued to experience delays.

Materials began to arrive earlier this month, but the project ran into another hitch.

“The wrong trusses were ordered,” Neuman said. “It was one thing after another. They did get the right ones in. They had the trusses up Friday. It’s starting to make positive progress.”

In all, the building cost about $182,000.

City Clerk Debbie Kralik said the Dane G. Hansen Foundation contributed $30,000 and Smoky Hills Charitable Foundation chipped in $2,000. The remainder of the balance was paid for by a loan from the Firefighter’s Relief Association.